Washingtonians

[Stumpfarmer]

Weird-ish morning: I got awakened by a Bewick's Wren singing in the climbing hydrangea next to my open window, and none of the cockerels crowed until just now. Cold and misty, reminds me of the dig in the Skagit when the only thing that we had to keep warm was a two-gallon granite pot of cowboy coffee.

 

[Chicken Rustler]

Quote:
Congrats on the egg (s) but Why rehome the roo just because you now know that he is doing ONE of the jobs roo's do. Keep in mind he is also a flock guard.

 

[KMHunter]

Ok, I am such an idiot!!!!

I posted yesterday about egg eating. I think I inadvertently caused this!!!

I have a pullet that is more timid than the rest and she was spending more time in the coop, others chased her more so I felt sorry for her and put small containers of food and water in there. it was supposed to be temporary, but I left them in there longer that I thought.
So I think since one hen lays the soft ones off the roost, she may have gotten a taste for them out of boredom and stress.
I took the food out of there and made sure she went out this morning first thing, now I am going to put "curtains" on my nesting boxes to maybe help.
I am hoping that this is just a curiosity thing, and she will stop if she has other things to do and eat.

 

[Chicken Rustler]

Quote:
No Kim this does not make you an idiot!!!! You simply were trying to do what you thought was a good idea and it may have caused a different problem. As for the egg eaters I have heard that putting things like golf balls, ceramic eggs, wood eggs or even rocks that look kind of like eggs can help stop pecking eggs.

 

[ByN8ureHomstead]

Quote:
No Kim this does not make you an idiot!!!! You simply were trying to do what you thought was a good idea and it may have caused a different problem. As for the egg eaters I have heard that putting things like golf balls, ceramic eggs, wood eggs or even rocks that look kind of like eggs can help stop pecking eggs.

I have ping pong balls in the nest boxes but its not to stop chickens from egg eating.

 

[Kaneke]

Quote:
Congrats on the egg (s) but Why rehome the roo just because you now know that he is doing ONE of the jobs roo's do. Keep in mind he is also a flock guard.

DH is concerned that the crowing will bother the neighbors .. I think maybe it bugs him too but he's not admitting it
DS is living elsewhere at least for the next two months, so the roo won't bug HIM ...
have already talked to the immediate neighbors, either side, who say they don't have any problem with the roo
neighbors to the south are 500 (or more) feet away and upwind .... and the coop is BEHIND our house (north of it)

that roo does sound off, every 15 seconds or so, sporadically during the day -- the coop and run are more or less in the center of our property, and I usually site the chicken tractor towards the north end of the property, since most everyone on this row has their house on the south setback border; north of us is a steep bank down to the power canal, then a livestock quarantine facility, then the river

oh yes, and the neighbor 3 lots to the west of us, has chickens and at least one rooster -- has had them for a couple of years -- occasionally I hear his roo crowing and I think that sets mine off .... (chickens can probably hear that better than I can)

 

[Kaneke]

Quote:
I had an idea

since one of your "problems" is the soft-egg-laying hen ... what about putting a PADDED poop board under the roost where she usually lays

visualizing a thin layer of foam -- even Temperfoam -- covered with plastic, with a thin layer of sand over it

would catch poop, so easier to scoop it, would catch the egg

further thought -- what if that poop board were made of an arc of metal (half of a culvert, for example) so the egg would roll towards the center of it, underneath the roost board, so it would be difficult for chickens to reach down and peck it

I may use this idea myself, easier to collect poo from that --- will see if I can salvage something of the sort

 

[KMHunter]

Quote:
I had an idea

since one of your "problems" is the soft-egg-laying hen ... what about putting a PADDED poop board under the roost where she usually lays

visualizing a thin layer of foam -- even Temperfoam -- covered with plastic, with a thin layer of sand over it

would catch poop, so easier to scoop it, would catch the egg

further thought -- what if that poop board were made of an arc of metal (half of a culvert, for example) so the egg would roll towards the center of it, underneath the roost board, so it would be difficult for chickens to reach down and peck it

I may use this idea myself, easier to collect poo from that --- will see if I can salvage something of the sort

I could do something padded, I don't have room where the older girls roost for anything too large but padding would work.

I wish I knew why she started laying soft eggs this spring. She was laying just fine up until about February.

I offer OS and layer feed with calcium, and Avia Charge 2000 with lots of vitamin D and other vitamins in it.

 

[ByN8ureHomstead]

Quote:
I had an idea

since one of your "problems" is the soft-egg-laying hen ... what about putting a PADDED poop board under the roost where she usually lays

visualizing a thin layer of foam -- even Temperfoam -- covered with plastic, with a thin layer of sand over it

would catch poop, so easier to scoop it, would catch the egg

further thought -- what if that poop board were made of an arc of metal (half of a culvert, for example) so the egg would roll towards the center of it, underneath the roost board, so it would be difficult for chickens to reach down and peck it

I may use this idea myself, easier to collect poo from that --- will see if I can salvage something of the sort

How about a poop hammock

http://communitychickens.blogspot.com/2011/07/clean-keeping-of-coop.html

 

[KMHunter]

Quote:
I had an idea

since one of your "problems" is the soft-egg-laying hen ... what about putting a PADDED poop board under the roost where she usually lays

visualizing a thin layer of foam -- even Temperfoam -- covered with plastic, with a thin layer of sand over it

would catch poop, so easier to scoop it, would catch the egg

further thought -- what if that poop board were made of an arc of metal (half of a culvert, for example) so the egg would roll towards the center of it, underneath the roost board, so it would be difficult for chickens to reach down and peck it

I may use this idea myself, easier to collect poo from that --- will see if I can salvage something of the sort

How about a poop hammock

http://communitychickens.blogspot.com/2011/07/clean-keeping-of-coop.html

Poop hammock is definitely something I can do! Probably not as fancy as hers, but I can do something similar. Thanks!!!

At least that would keep the soft broken eggs off the floor for the others to eat.